Pa. voters getting educated on ID rules not in effect

That seems to be the only rationale that would explain why some counties, including Montgomery County, are planning to “educate” voters about a rule that isn’t in effect.

We’re referring to Pennsylvania’s Voter ID law that requires voters to show specified photo IDs in order for their votes to be counted. The controversial law was adopted last spring in what some say was a Republican-inspired move to suppress votes from the low-income and minority voters likely to favor President Obama in last fall’s presidential election.

However, implementation was halted before the election after a state Supreme Court challenge.

That didn’t stop the state from spending money on TV ads and brochures telling voters about the law, even though it didn’t apply. In fact, more money and effort went into voter education about which IDs would be appropriate than into making it easy for people to acquire those IDs in the limited number of driver’s license centers where they could be obtained.

Although Commonwealth Court Judge Robert Simpson stayed the enforcement of the law last fall, the voter ID requirement remains on the books and was expected to be enforced in the spring primary.

Until last week. That’s when Simpson approved an agreement between the state and plaintiffs who sued to stop the law’s enforcement.

Voters will face nothing new when they go to the polls May 21.

County voter services officials expect no problems, especially given the typically low turnout for a primary in a municipal election.

But that isn’t stopping officials from “voter-education efforts” to focus on “what will be expected and what will not be expected,” Frank X. Custer, communications director for Montgomery County, told The Associated Press.

The law states that poll workers should ask for the newly required photo IDs, but voters don’t have to produce them.

If voting in a polling place for the first time, voters are required to show identification, but non-photo IDs such as a utility bill are acceptable.

If you vote by absentee ballot, you need to include proof of identification such as a Pennsylvania driver’s license number, last four digits of Social Security number or copy of a photo ID. These items can be provided to county elections officials by phone, email or regular mail.

But if you are in the military or are a civilian living overseas, you’re exempt from that requirement.

Confused yet?If not, the voter-education efforts being undertaken by counties will be sure to do the trick.